State Agency Shuts Office on Vineyard; Future Is Uncertain

It's much quieter these days at 1 Douglas Way in Oak Bluffs.
Barbara's not around. Neither are many of the 112 Islanders who
rely on the Department of Transitional Assistance for emergency shelter,
food stamps, health care and job placement assistance.

A small note on the door directs Islanders to call Yarmouth's
DTA office in the event of an emergency. Those in need may be lucky
enough to stop by during one of the days that a DTA case worker from
Hyannis mans the Vineyard office.

This is the reality of lean times in the state of Massachusetts.
Legislators slashed $5 million from the Department of Transitional
Assistance's staffing budget alone. They took another swing at the
DTA's general administration budget, mandating $3 million more in
cuts.

Hiring freezes slimmed the gap in staffing to $3 million, but the
DTA (formerly the Department of Public Welfare) handed out 160 pink
slips last week to trim further. One of the layoff notices landed on the
desk of Barbara Flynn - the Vineyard's only case worker.

An employee of DTA for 26 years, the 69-year-old Ms. Flynn is taking
advantage of unused vacation days before her Feb. 22 termination. With
her elimination, the fate of the Island's DTA office looks bleak.

"As of Feb. 22, the office is under review," said Dick
Powers, spokesman for the DTA. "Until then, it's business as
usual."

"Under review" could mean shutting down, which would
force Vineyard clients to travel to offices in Falmouth or Hyannis. The
DTA could also send a case worker from a larger office to hold periodic
office hours on the Vineyard. Given recent layoffs, hiring a new case
worker seems unlikely.

While DTA officials discuss the future of the agency's
smallest office, Vineyard human services workers lament the potential
loss of this resource.

"When you have a community of 15,000 - a community with
one of the highest costs of living - it's ridiculous at best
to close such an office," said Ned Robinson-Lynch, executive
director of Martha's Vineyard Community Services. "It seems
an unrealistic way for the commonwealth to save money at the expense of
112 people."

Of the 112 Islanders receiving aid from the DTA, nearly all of them
are single mothers.

"This office is essential in helping women deal with the many
hurdles they face in trying to become independent," said Ann
Wallace, director of Women's Support Services for Martha's
Vineyard Community Services.

"These are the neediest people. Even with DTA benefits,
it's still hard for them to make it here. Day to day, week to
week, anything can upset the balance," said Jennifer Wey, ongoing
social worker for the Island's Department of Social Services.

If the Vineyard's office is closed permanently, many wonder
how the state expects those in need to get to an off-Island office.

"Many of the families we service don't have
transportation and they certainly don't have money for repeated
ferry trips," said Ms. Wey.

Cape and Islands Rep. Eric T. Turkington sent his own plea on behalf
of the office last week. In a letter to DTA commissioner Claire
McIntire, he wrote, "Recognizing the unique aspect of living on an
Island, the department has always provided on-Island help for Islanders
in need of assistance, and should continue to do so."

Apart from uncertainty over the fate of the Vineyard's DTA
office, many mourn the loss of Barbara Flynn. Ms. Wey said DSS clients
who rely on DTA always appreciated Ms. Flynn's kindness.